Sepabatetg uevics



N. A. H'ELMER.

SEPARATING E.

APPLICATION FILED A 15,1918

WITNESSES /%Z@WMM Patented May 27, 1919.-

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

f x ATTORNEYS N. A. HELMER.

SEPARATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLED APE-25. .1928.

1,304,681 Patented May 27, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- A TTOBNEYS fill SEPARATE: DEVICE. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ll lay 2'3, 191%,

Application filed. April 25, 191%. Serial'No. 230,656.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NiooLAs ARTHUR Hnminn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of Ohio,have invented a certain new and useful improvement in SeparatingDevices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to separating devices and more particularly toseparating devices for cvaporators and stills.

In evaporating liquids such as, "for instance, sugar solutions, milk,oils, etc,

in the fractional distilletion of oils, ethers, alcohols, etc, it isgenerally desirable or even necessary, in order, for instance, toconserve the material from entrainment losses or. to prevent thepollution or the escaping vapors, to provide some means for preventingany minute particles from heing carried over with the vapors.

The operations, in many cwesgare conducted under conditions where theimpedance oi the passage of the vapors will be prejudicial to theoperation of the process or to the capacity of the apparatus, hy reasonof the increase in the pressure required to cause the proper rate offlow of the disengaged vapors due, for instance, to the resistancecaused by sharply diverting the path of said vapors or because of theadherence in the passages of scale or coatings from the material itself.This is particularly objectionable, in vacuum apparatus because of thesmall range of pressure commonly encountered, especially in the case ofmultiple efiect evaporation. For the neason last expressed, it is alsoparticularly desirable to prevent the loss of heat by radiation.

The object of my invention is to provide a construction in which theobjectionable features recited above, as well as others, are obviatedand which is simpleand economical in arrangement and operation and ofmaximum elliciency. Other more specific objects \vill appear in thedescription hereinafter andthe features of novelty will be pointed outin the. appended claims. I i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly insection, of

an apparatus used in the manufacture of sugar with my inventionoperatively combined therewith;-Fig. 2 is a detail sectional View of myinvention on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3is a horizontal section on the line .3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is asectional view on the line l,'l of Fig. 3; Fig 5 is a plan view; andFigs. 6 and l are detail perspective views; it is to he distinctlyunderstood that the apparatus shown in the drawings has been chosensimply for the purpose of illustrating and describing my invention andfor no other reason.

As shown in Fig, 1, the apparatus diatgraminatically illustratedcomprises a series of evaporators, 5, of any well known o suit--construction and connected with each 'other'by pipes, 5, extending fromthe upper end of one evaporator to the lower end portion of the nextadjacent evaporator. The apparatus may include any and all featuresusually found in apparatus of the type in question and has been shown ina diagrammatic form, in the drawings, as the details of said apparatus,other than those forming part oi my invention, are of no consequence.

At a point between the inlet and outlet and preferably in closeproximity to the inlet ends of the pipes, 6, each evaporator is providedwith my improvement, which in its illustrated form, comprises a bottomplate, 7 having its inner surface preferably converging downwardlytoward an opening, 8, located, for instance, at the centralpoint or saidplate 7. The inner surface of the latter may further be provided orformed with an outer series of bosses, 9, located along the periphery ofsaid plate, 7, with their opposed ends spaced from each other; a similarinner series of curved bosses, 10, with their opposed ends also spacedfrom each other, are located within the bosses, 9, on the plate, 7, thehorizontal upper surfaces of the inner bosses, 10, being preferablyin alower plane than the corresponding surfaces of the outer bosses 9. v

In its illustrated form, my invention. further includes outer segmentalmembers,11, and inner segmental members, 12, the memprovided preterablya point intcrmcd" e of their edges with relatiyely longer ri" l, 13,located betuaeen two relatively shorter ribs, 14-, said ribs allertending lengthwise of the members, 11, along the inner concavesurfaces thereof. The inner members, 12, are provided with single ribs,15, extending lengthwise thereof along their outer convex surfaces, assnown in Fig. 3.

The outer segmental members, 11, in the assembled condition of theparts, are secured, in upright positions, upon the outer bosses, 9, inany suitable manner as, for 131- sta'nce, by means of bolts, 16, whichpass through flanges, 17, located at the lower ends of said members,11'; similarly, the in nor segmental members, 12, are fastened, inupright positions, upon the inner bosses, 10, many suitable manner as bymeans of bolts, 18, which pass through flanges, 19, located at the lowerends of said members, 12.

ll hen in position upon the respective bosses, 9 and 10, the members 11and 12, with the illustrated arrangement are staggored with respect toeach other and the innor members, 12, form a series within the series ofouter members, the opposed upright edges or" the members in each seriesbe ing spaced apart to form spaces 20 and 21, the purpose of which willbe more clearly pointed out hereinafter. As shown in Fig. 3, the ribs 18and 1st of the outer members 11 are located opposite to the spaces 21between adjacent inner members, 12, while the ribs, 15, of the innermembers 12 are located in registry with the spaces 20 between adjacentouter members, 11.

The construction further includes a top plate, 22, which may be in thenature of an annular member fastened to the upper ends of the members 11and 12 in any suitable manner as by means of bolts 23 passing throughflanges 24 and 25 located, respectively, at the upper ends of saidmembers 11 and 12. The top plate, 22, closes the upper end of theannular space between the series of outer members 11 and the series ofinner members 12 and leaves the interior space 26 within the series orinner members upwardly open for communication with the pipes 6. Asillustrated in Fig. 8, wire cloth or similar being hers, 11,

material is secured along opposite vertical edges of each outer member11 and passes over and is preferably secured to the ribs 13 and 14thereof to form foraminated walls 27 and 28; in the same way, wire clothor the like is secured to the opposite vertical edges of each innermember 12 and passes over and is preferably secured to the flange 15thereof to form foraminated walls 29.

The foraminated walls, 27, 28, and 29, extend substantially throughoutthe upright length of the members 11 and 12 and together form channels30 which communicate cne "paces 20 and with the interior space 26 andpipes 6 through the spaces 21.

The construction described thus comprises a cylindrical element providedwith lengthwise extending openings 20 and 21 with an upwardly openinterior space 26 and with interior channels 30 having foraminate dwalls 27, 28 and 29, the latter being preferably arranged in a manner tocause each channel to extend in at least two directions at an angle toeach other. It will, of course, be understood that this specificembodiment of my invention is only an example and that the constructionand arrangement may be varied to meet the requirements of each casewithout in any way attesting the eiiioiency of my improvement.-

in the illustrated example, the vaporization process being" carried outin the Vaporizers 5 in the customary manner, the vapors will eventuallypass from one vaporizer to the next through the pipes 6. However, beforeeach pipe 6 is reached the vapors travel inwardly through the spaces oropenings 20 and along the channels 30 between and in contact with theforaminated walls, 2'? and 29, and along and in contact with theforaminatcd walls 28, whereby the direction oi flow of said vapors ischanged and they are caused to impact against said walls, 28, andfinally pass inwardly through the spaces or openings, 21, to theinterior space, 26, from which they leave the particular evaporator, 5,through theconnecting pipe 6 and pass to the next adjacent evaporator,5, where the same operation is repeated.

In contacting with the foraminated walls, 27 28 and 29, some part of anyfluid carried along bythe vapors will be retained by said walls,forinstance, in the form of small drops or particles which become caughtin the foramina" of the woven fabric or the like. As the processcontinues,thc capillary attraction which the retained particles of fluidhave for any other minute particles of the same fluid which may touchthem as the vaporspass along will cause additional fluid to be collectedupon the foraminated walls, 27, '28, and 29. Successive minute particlesof fluid will in this Waybe consolidated into larger quantities, out ofthe path of theva pors, of such'size or mass as to prevent them frombeing again caught up and carried alongby said vapors. 'As the collectedliquid is thus consolidated it will finally drop from the foraminatedzwalls, 27, 28 and 29, to the bottom, plate 7, and pass back therefrominto the evaporator 5 through the opening 8. v

It will be seen that the vapors are not forced through the wire fabricor other foraminated material but are caused to travel along theforaminated walls in con tact therewith and by having their direction offlow changed are" impacted against the foraminated walls, 28, the wholearrangement avoiding any impedance to the passage of said vapors. At thesame time the fluids, carried along by said vapors, are removedtherefrom in an efiicient manner through said contact withtheforaminated walls and without interfering in any way with thecapacity or economy of operation of the apparatus. 7 v

In all cases the invention in question provides areas which are ampleforlthe passage of the vapors and in addition the construction anddesign is such that a modification thereof is readily possible wherebyan increase in area is easily effected when necessary or desirable Amaximum of ef- .ficiency is acquired by providing a rela tivelynarrowpath for the vapors which are thus thinned or spread out as itwere to expose the greatest possible area thereof tok the action ofthewoven fabric or the li e.

It will be readily apparent that my invention may be eficiently used inmany ways other than the one illustrated and described; it is to befurther understood that various changes in the specific form shown anddescribed'm'ay be made within the scope of'the claims without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

Iclaimr f a r. r 1. The process of separating-fluid's'from vapors whichconsists-in passing the vapors along a foraminated member in surfacecontact therewith, but not through said member. 2. The process ofseparating fluids from vapors which consists in passing the vaporsbetween and along forammated members in surface contact with the opposedsurfaces thereof but not through said members.

3. The process of separating fluids from liquids which consists incausin said vapors to impact against and travel a ong but not through aforaminated member by changing the direction of flow of said vapors.

4. The process of separating fluids from vaporswhich consists incollecting particles of. fluids from the vapor on a foraminated surface,and passing subsequent vapors in a stream along and 1n contact with saidforaminated surface and the collected articles thereon wherebyithelatter collect a ditional particles of fluid by capillary attraction.

5. In a separator of the kind described, a conduit for vapors includi aforaminated member and means for pro ucing a flow of vapors along saidforaminated member but not through the same.

6. In a separator of the kind described, a conduit for va ors includingopposed fora-minated mem ers forming a channel and means for producing aflow of vapors through said channel and along said foraminated membersbut not throng the same.

7 In a separator of the kind described, a conduit for vapors includingopposed foran'iinated members forming a channel and means for producinga flow of vapors through said channel and along said foraminated membersbut not through the same, said channel having contiguous portionsextending at an angle to each other whereby the direction of flow ofsaid vapors is changed and said vapors are impacted against some of saidmembers. i

8. A separator of the kind described coniprisinga device having aninterior channel provided with an inlet and an outlet, foraminated wallsextending along said channel between said inlet and outlet and means forproducing a flow of vapors through said channel and along saidforaminated walls but not through the same' 9. A. separator of the kinddescribed comv prising a device having an interior channel provided witha plurality of inlets and outlets staggered relatively to each other andforaminated members extending along said" channel and forming the wallsbetween said inlets and outlets along which vapors pass in surfacecontact.

' 10. A separator comprising a bottom member, a top member, uprightmembers located between said bottom and top members and spaced apart toform an interior channel having inlets and outlets andforaminated'members within, said channel and formin o osite Walls-alonwhich va ors 2: PP .v P

j other on said member in difl'erent planes and in staggered relation toeach other, two series of members spaced apart to form a channel andhaving one end secured to said bosses,

members in each series being spaced apart at, their opposed edges toform openings staggered relatively to each other, a second end membersecured to the opposite end of said two series of members to close thespace therebetween, single ribs extending outwardly from the members ofthe inner series at intermediate points thereof, a trio of ribsextending inwardly from the members of the outer series at intermediatepoints thereof, and sheets of foraminated material secured alon theopposite longitudinal ed es of the mem bers in each series and exten ingover and in COl'lttMii, with the ribs of sztiol members to formforaminated Walls along which vapors flow in surface contact.

13.'The combination of an evaporator or still having an outlet and aseparator located interiorly at said outlet, said separator comprising ebet-tom member, a top member, upright members located between said;bottom w -we and top members and spaced apart to form an interiorchannel communicating with said 10 inlet and outlet and foreminateclmembers Within said channel owning opposite Wells along which vaporspass in surface contact. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand.

NICGLAS ARTHUR HELMER.

